Circular coils for deep transcranial magnetic stimulation

Abstract

A transcranial magnetic stimulation coil which is location-specific for frontal lobe regions, occipital lobe regions, parietal lobe regions, right temporal regions and left temporal regions is designed with multiple spaced apart stimulating elements having current flow in a substantially circular direction, and multiple return elements having current flow in substantially the same circular direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A coil for magnetic stimulation of a body part, the coil comprising:
 a base portion including substantially parallel multiple stimulating elements wherein said multiple stimulating elements include a first stimulating element and a second stimulating element adjacent to said first stimulating element, and a third stimulating element adjacent to said second stimulating element, said base portion configured to encircle at least a portion of a first section of a body part and to provide electrical flow in a substantially circular path; 
 a contacting return portion including substantially parallel multiple contacting return elements wherein each of said multiple contacting return elements is continuous with and positioned at an angle of less than 180 degrees to each of said multiple stimulating elements, wherein said multiple contacting return elements include a first return element and a second return element adjacent to said first return element, and a third return element adjacent to said second return element, said contacting return portion configured to encircle at least a portion of a second section of the body part, wherein said second section is in a different location than said first section, and to provide electrical flow in a continuation of the substantially circular path of said base portion, wherein all of said multiple stimulating elements of said base portion are configured to contact the body part and all of said multiple contacting return elements are configured to contact the body part, such that said coil does not include any protruding return elements; and 
 multiple connecting elements connecting said stimulating elements to said return elements, said connecting elements configured to carry electrical flow in substantially a same direction as said base portion and said return portion wherein all of said connecting elements are configured to contact the body part. 
 
     
     
       2. The coil of  claim 1 , wherein said base portion comprises a first base portion group having a first set of multiple stimulating elements separated from one another by a first stimulating distance and a second base portion group having a second set of multiple stimulating elements separated from one another by a second stimulating distance, wherein said second base portion group is separated from said first base portion group by a base portion separating distance which is greater than said first stimulating distance and is greater than said second stimulating distance. 
     
     
       3. The coil of  claim 1 , wherein the body part is a head and wherein said first section and said second section of the body part are at least one of the following: said first section is a frontal section of the head and said second section is a parietal section of the head, said first section is a parietal section of the head and said second section is an occipital section of the head, said first section is a parietal section of the head and said second section is a frontal section of the head, and said first section is an occipital section of the head and said second section is a parietal section of the head. 
     
     
       4. The coil of  claim 1 , wherein said first stimulating element and said second stimulating element are separated by a first stimulating distance, and said third stimulating element and said second stimulating element are separated by a second stimulating distance, and wherein said first and second stimulating distances are different from one another. 
     
     
       5. The coil of  claim 1 , wherein said first return element and said second return element are separated by a first return distance, and said third return element and said second return element are separated by a second return distance and wherein said first and second return distances are different from one another. 
     
     
       6. The coil of  claim 1 , wherein said multiple contacting return elements are positioned at an angle of approximately 90 degrees to said multiple stimulating elements. 
     
     
       7. The coil of  claim 1 , wherein a distance between said first and said second stimulating elements is different than a distance between said first and said second return elements. 
     
     
       8. A method of treating a disease, the method comprising:
 placing a circular coil on a body part, said circular coil including a base portion having substantially parallel multiple stimulating elements, said base portion configured to encircle at least a portion of a first section of the body part and to provide electrical flow in a substantially circular path, and a contacting return portion having substantially parallel multiple contacting return elements, wherein said multiple contacting return elements are positioned at an angle of less than 180 degrees to said multiple stimulating elements, said contacting return portion configured to encircle at least a portion of a second section of the body part, wherein said second section is in a different location than said first section, and provides electrical flow in a continuation of the substantially circular path of said base portion, wherein said coil does not include any protruding return elements, and multiple connecting elements connecting said stimulating elements to said return elements, said connecting elements configured to carry electrical flow in substantially a same direction as said base portion and said return portion wherein all of said connecting elements are configured to contact the body part; 
 positioning said circular coil such that all of said multiple stimulating elements and all of said multiple contacting return elements and all of said multiple connecting elements are in direct contact with the body part; and 
 stimulating the body part using said circular coil. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein said treating a disease comprises treating at least one of: depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), neurodegenerative illnesses, ADHD, drug addiction, cigarette addiction, alcoholism, gambling problem, eating disorders, obesity, autism, Asperger's disease, epilepsy, or migraine. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the body part is a head and wherein said first section and said second section of the body part are at least one of the following: said first section is a frontal section of the head and said second section is a parietal section of the head, said first section is a parietal section of the head and said second section is an occipital section of the head, said first section is a parietal section of the head and said second section is a frontal section of the head, and said first section is an occipital section of the head and said second section is a parietal section of the head. 
     
     
       11. A coil for magnetic stimulation of a body part, the coil comprising:
 a base portion configured to be positioned on a frontal section of a head, said base portion including substantially parallel multiple stimulating elements, said base portion comprising:
 a first base portion group including a first base portion first stimulating element and a first base portion second stimulating element adjacent to said first base portion first stimulating element and separated from said first base portion first stimulating element by a first stimulating distance; 
 a second base portion group positioned below said first base portion group, said second base portion group including a second base portion first stimulating element and a second base portion second stimulating element adjacent to said second base portion first stimulating element and separated from said second base portion first stimulating element by a second stimulating distance, wherein said first base portion group and said second base portion group are separated by a base portion separating distance and are both configured to encircle at least a portion of the frontal section of the head and to provide electrical flow in a substantially circular path; and 
 a third base portion group positioned below said second base portion group, said third base portion group including a third base portion first stimulating element and a third base portion second stimulating element adjacent to said third base portion first stimulating element and separated from said third base portion first stimulating element by a third stimulating distance, wherein said second base portion group and said third base portion group are separated by a second base portion separating distance and are both configured to encircle at least a portion of the frontal section of the head and to provide electrical flow in a substantially circular path; 
 
 a return portion configured to be positioned on an occipital section of the head, said return portion comprising:
 a first return portion, wherein said first return portion is a protruding return portion including substantially parallel multiple first protruding return portion return elements, wherein said multiple first protruding return portion return elements include a first return portion first return element and a first return portion second return element adjacent to said first return portion first return element separated by a first return distance, wherein said first protruding return portion is configured to provide electrical flow in a continuation of the substantially circular path of said first base portion; 
 a second return portion positioned below said first return portion, wherein said second return portion is a contacting return portion including substantially parallel multiple second return portion return elements, wherein said multiple second return portion return elements include a second return portion first contacting return element and a second return portion second return element adjacent to said second return portion first return element separated by a second return distance, wherein said second return portion is configured to provide electrical flow in a continuation of the substantially circular path of said second base portion; and 
 a third return portion positioned below said second return portion, wherein said third return portion is a contacting return portion including substantially parallel multiple third return portion return elements, wherein said multiple third return portion return elements include a third return portion first contacting return element and a third return portion second return element adjacent to said third return portion first return element separated by a third return distance, wherein said third return portion is configured to provide electrical flow in a continuation of the substantially circular path of said third base portion; and 
 
 protruding connecting elements including vertical connecting elements and horizontal connecting elements for connecting said base portion to said return portion. 
 
     
     
       12. The coil of  claim 11 , wherein said stimulating elements of said first base portion group have an arch configuration and said stimulating elements of said third base portion group have at least one of: a step configuration, or a partially outwardly curved and partially straight formation. 
     
     
       13. The coil of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of: said first stimulating distance is different than said second stimulating distance, said second stimulating distance is different than said third stimulating distance, or said first stimulating distance is different than said third stimulating distance. 
     
     
       14. The coil of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of: said first return distance is different than said second return distance, said second return distance is different than said third return distance, or said first return distance is different than said third return distance. 
     
     
       15. The coil of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of said first, second and third stimulating distances is different than at least one of said first, second and third return distances.